They. Are. Out. There. February 23, 2011
Posted by nrhatch in Magick & Mystery.trackback
A few weeks ago, someone new (or someone “old” disguised as someone new) left me a comment that seemed “custom tailored” . . . designed with me in mind.
The comment struck me as “fabricated” rather than sincere.
As I read through words which seemed “hand-plucked” from previous posts on SLTW, I looked within for guidance.
Spirit let me know that this person was not “for real” ~ and instead was a fictional character of someone’s creation.
Intrigued, I visited “her” blog.
It had all of one post . . . which, like “her” comment on SLTW, seemed more like bad story telling and flash fiction than the “life story” it purported to be.
Once again, I looked within for guidance as I read through the post.
The Universe instilled me with intuitive knowingness, “She’s not for real. She’s a fake. She’s a phony. She’s a HE.”
Satisfied, I returned to “her” comment on SLTW and left a “generic” reply.
Weeks passed and I heard nothing further.
Today, I checked to see if the blog had additional posts. Nope. The poorly written parody about belly dancing and the blog itself had been deleted.
Why am I telling you this?
Because words are easily manipulated. People often pretend to be something they are not, especially in cyber-space: The Many Faces of Blogging
They. Are. Out. There.
If your intuition tells you that someone is not for real, focus on that feeling. Ask Spirit to direct your steps, guide your actions, and light your way.
The quieter your mind becomes . . . the more you hear.
Quote: God is the breath inside the breath. ~ Kabir
No rules. Just write!
Related posts: A Glimpse Behind The Veil * God Dwells Within Me As Me * The Universal Internet * Why I Speak of Spirit, Not God * Winks, Whispers, and Nudges * A Beacon in the Dark * Access Your Inner Wisdom
Spirit Lights The Way 
How interesting. . .I think! 😀 You did a wonderful job in listening to that still, small voice. But the best part of that is that you knew to quiet your spirit and listen for Spirit! Do you think maybe you know who it was (is)?
Since you are expecting me to say this, I will_”It wasn’t me! I swear!” 😀 I’m having a hard enough time with the one blog I have than to spend time creating a fake one – other than the “Test Blog” I’m doing to work on RFACM! 😀
Hope I never get one of those “They” that are out there! But if I do, I hope I’m as savvy as you are. Then again, maybe hslf my readership is fake, and I’m clueless! 😀 Hope today that “They” keep clear of you! Have you ever gotten one of these before?
BTW, I haven’t told you before, and I have meant to (Best laid plans. . .):
HAPPY BLOGOVERSARY #1! YOU ARE DOING A WORLD OF GOOD OUT HERE IN THE BLOGOSPHERE. THANK YOU!
I’m confident that the name Spirit whispered to me belongs to the culprit in question. Of course, knowing it and proving it in a court of law are two different issues. 😉
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of any other time I knew with such certainty that someone had been created out of thin air, but I’ve often recognized that stories were not as portrayed.
On WEbook, I realized that someone was creating stories to garner sympathy from some soft hearted individuals. His public persona did not match his private persona. When I let him know that I could “see” what he was doing, he got very, very, very angry.
Thanks for the Anniversary wishes, PTC. We’re going to have cake to celebrate . . . not because the occasion warrants it, just because we love cake. 😉
The best sort of cake, in my mind, but what cake isn’t the BEST (unless it is coffee-flavored!)? 😀
I’ve never had a coffee flavored cake, but I bet I would love it. Mmm . . . Kahlua.
I used to make a delicious Grand Marnier Cake, infused with orange liquor. Another favorite, my sister-in-law’s Carrot Cake with carrots, raisins, coconut, pineapple, and cream cheese frosting.
Next time, make the Grand Marnier cake with Cointreau! Even better! Carrot cake. . .yum, but you forgot the pecans!
I make two different ones (among many – they are my favorite things to bake!) that have proven popular over the years: Vanilla Wafer cake – which uses no flour, but a box of vanilla wafers crushed to powder, with coconut and pecans. Rich, but heavenly. The other is German chocolate poundcake. No frosting, just served with a dollop of whipped cream. My Mom gave me that recipe ages and ages ago.
Happy eating!
The Carrot Cake recipe does include pecans, but not if my mom is going to have a piece since she’s allergic to nuts. 🙂
Does it matter, though, who writes the comments? I treat comments on their own terms, so long as they’re not from a spam site. I do have a special kind of enjoyment in the ones that argue with me, having loved debate since childhood. The process is stimulating, and there’s a chance that I’ll learn something or understand something new.
What I understand from this article is that you don’t want invented echoes, given the false encouragement that they offer. That’s a good corrective.
By the way, how do you feel about invented counterpoint? (Wink.)
Thanks, Greg. You’ve covered a lot of ground in that astute comment.
Since I’m convinced that we never fully appreciate who someone else is at the core, it doesn’t bother me if someone desires to expend energy to create a fictionalized persona in order to “fool” me into believing they are real.
The comment left on SLTW wasn’t really encouraging . . . it was designed to make me expend energy to offer “advice and counsel” to a fictional character. I have better things to do with my time.
Besides, the best advice that I can give to others is to look within for answers. 🙂
The linked article (Many Faces of Blogging) shows someone with a different perspective on the situation ~ that blogger is thinking about giving up blogging because of interactions she’s had with masked marauders which she found unsettling.
After my post yesterday, this post seemed a good follow up for why I discount words and focus on actions instead.
Like you, I enjoy a good debate, but . . . I prefer that people are actually standing behind their words rather than arguing for the sake of arguing.
That type of invented counterpoint seems rather pointless ~ an expenditure of energy that could be better utilized in other pursuits.
What a strange story! A little creepy…
People are bizarre and creepy at times. 😉
This fictional “strawman” subscribed to my blog with a (newly created?) e-mail that matched “her” blog title.
I believe the person in question wanted to keep an eye on my writing without advertising that they were watching.
How utterly exhausting and unnecessary!
When we stop hiding who we are, we have the energy to become who we’ve always wanted to be.
Yes. They. are. out. there. They are everywhere. I’m not saying they are prevalent, but they exist. They can be dangerous or just annoying, but it’s wise to avoid connecting with them. Blessings to you, Nancy…
Thanks, Carol Ann.
Even when people are successful in hiding behind masks from “us” . . . Spirit/God sees them as and where they are.
Our efforts to deceive trip us up in the end.
Gotta trust those instincts–good detective work.
Thanks, Connor.
Same goes for those hairs on the back of the neck . . . when they go up, keep a look out!
I went to something at the kids school which is all about web security: it has made me rather wary. They called what you described ‘cloaking’. The challenge is to allow the positive friendships which develop in this rather wonderful blogosphere to develop, while keeping one’s spirit open to that ‘wrong’ feeling.
Really interesting post, Nancy.
Thanks, Kate. Cloaking is the perfect word for it.
And when a cloak slips, revealing the person beneath, it can make one more wary about the other on-line personalities being encountered.
If I had children, I would be wary indeed of any on-line friendships they might form.
I love the stanza from Desiderata:
“Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let not this blind you to what virture there is; many persons strive for high ideals and everywhere life is full of heroism.”
By listening to our inner-self, and by not ignoring our “gut” feeling, it is possible to recognize people who don’t seem to “gel” with the rest of us here.
I like what you said “Our efforts to deceive trip us up in the end” – and they will trip themselves up eventually, because they can only keep up the pretense for a while.
We just have to be aware and diligent about people around us – sad but true.
Thanks, Barb. I agree with you. Cautious but not paranoid. Paranoia closes us off to the good out there.
Wait, you are Barb, right? 😉
:)I am me – can’t be anyone else, right? No point to that!
I agree, Barb. I don’t seen any benefit in having a “split personality.” 😉
This is all quite bizarre but nothing on the internet surprises me anymore… In the three years I’ve been blogging, I’ve seen a lot and experienced a lot; my advice is give it as little time and energy. Pity that anyone would waste precious time on deception and nonsense!
Pass the Kahlua cake Nancy and Happy Blogoversary!
Eliz
Thanks, Eliz. It’s been a FUN year with very few “sour” moments.
Wouldn’t it be great to sit down with a slice of Kahlua cake, and a cup of coffee right now? It would probably keep me awake all night but it might still be worth it.
Thank you for sharing the information Nancy … I often “want” to believe the best in all people and can be blind to their motives … my inner self does get better and better at telling me things as I listen but still learning a lot.
You’re welcome, Shannon. Tapping into our inner wisdom and intuition becomes easier with practice. To sense the signals, we must remain mindful. Be Here Now.
Many people do their best most of the time. Others, not so much. If we observe all with “alert curiosity,” we will not be oblivious to those who mean us harm.
Instinct is truly a powerful tool isn’t it? It’s a pity I’ve only begun to use it with vengeance as I became older and hopefully wiser…I should have listened to it a lot more in my twenties! Still better late than never 🙂
I love your quotes!
Instinct, the sixth sense, intuition, inner wisdom . . . whatever we call it, our inner spirit is always tapped into the collective spirit. It knows more about what is going on around us right here, right now, than we could ever know on an intellectual basis.
To tap into the source, we must mindfully focus our attention on the connection and listen. Sometimes the whispers of Spirit are a silent breeze. Other times, they are more forceful.
Glad you enjoy the quotes. When we listen, anything in life can be our guide.
Oh, they are out there all right!
We had one on my previous platform who killed herself off from a deadly disease for sympathy comments. Claimed to be rich & famous. Strangely there were no obituaries in the local papers ;p
Wow. What a way for a “hypochondriac” to get attention and sympathy for non-existent ailments. 😦
That’s one reason I don’t spend time on blogs written by people who throw a pity party for themselves each morning ~ giving people attention for sitting in a pool of tears does not encourage them to design a better future.
My first thought was, “ewww, creepy!” My second thought was, “some people need to get a life.” Then my last thought was, “and I’ve been on the computer for hours now.”
Guess I need to get back to life 😉
Funny, Janna. 😀
I’ve been spending more time away from the computer in the past couple weeks ~ in part because the weather has warmed up.
Life Balance is the key . . . to maintain our sanity. 😉
Creepy!
Good for you, Nancy, for paying attention to your feeling about the comment. I just read a blog where the author is nonplussed by suspicious comments. One of her readers commented that he follows his instincts and, if anything is fishy, he refuses to approve them. His stand is that he wouldn’t seek their company in person so will not invite them on to his blog.
One of the advantages to having a blog family…
I agree with him ~ we do not have to make ourselves available for everyone who knocks on our door.
They are alive and well on letterdash!
Maybe we could create the Island of Misfit Blogs and let them all interact with each other? 😉
whew. That was a creepy thing that happened to you Nancy. And I know given the odds it will happen to me too. ugh.
now listening to that little voice or the hairs standing up on one’s neck…does take practice and a quiet mind. Sometimes my mind is quiet. and sometimes the little voice ‘yells’ to be heard! 🙂
To argue for the sake of arguing? I walk off and let them argue with the wall.
Thanks Nancy…and Namaste to all_/!\_
When we aren’t mindful of the moment and our surroundings, Spirit will shout ~ hairs on the back of our neck, etc. ~ to get our attention.
But we must heed the call. We ignore it at our peril.
A good debate can be quite invigorating ~ requiring both sides to hone their argument and be succinct.
A “bad” debate just deflates ~ pfffftttt. 😀
Namaste, Debra
Interesting post Nancy. For some time I have had the strong feeling that someone who pretended to drop out of my life is still hidden among my FB friends under an assumed name. I just can’t put my finger on who the fictitious being is.
My intuition is almost never wrong! I refer to the person as a “look” dropper rather than an eavesdropper as I don’t think the he/she ever comments.
Interesting. It’s odd to think of cyber stalkers lurking in the bushes of the blogosphere.
I know who most of my “friends” on FB are ~ from past incarnation in this life (HS, College, etc.) or because we share a common cause (animal welfare, environment, etc.).
If anyone asks me to be their FB friend, I check to see if we have any mutual friends. If not, I ignore the friend request.
Interesting enough the link to “many faces of blogging” is not available! I only started blogging in May 2010 and find sometimes it is all so intense. I have actively particpated and moderated forums for years and trolls are nothing new…but blogging trolls…they are sad little critters. I thought blogging was meant to be fun…well at least for me it is 🙂
PiP
I guess she decided to delete it. At least she didn’t delete her blog in its entirety due to the bad behavior of a few trolls.
Blogging trolls are sad little critters. 😦
Guess it’s in the blog world, too. Been wanting but haven’t gotten around to writing it about real life…how people aren’t who you think they are and how shocked we are to find out, yet the clues/symptoms were in front of our eyes all along! I’ve gotten some weird replies lately that have led me to some odd sights, but a couple of them have even come by more than once…had me wondering.
People in our every day lives wear masks too . . . but we can see them standing there before us. They are not entirely “smoke and mirrors.”
The same cannot be said in the blogosphere. Creative writers can manufacture characters to populate cyber space out of “thin air.”
This post inspired me to look in the mirror to see if I am real. Imagine my shock when I saw no reflection.
Darn it. I liked pretending I existed for a while.
How very zen of you to see that being here is no more than illusion. 😉
Does this mean I don’t have to pay my rent this month?
Let me meditate on that and get back to you.
Can I help you create the “Island of Misfit Blogs”? You got me laughing with these 4 words.
I’ve only had a blog for 2 months and I’ve already had my own experiences with them. All you can do is be watchful because there are many of them hiding behind false names and faces.
The link in your post no longer works because she’s removed it from her blog along with all the other related posts on the subject. It’s tragic what’s happened but you can’t dwell on it and let it destroy who you are.
Thanks for the heads up. I figured as much. Hope she returns to her celebration soon.
Glad you enjoyed the “Island of Misfit Blogs” . . . they could argue, fuss, and fight with each other and we’d be none the wiser.